It should keep him going until he gets his next Universal Credit payment, but he says it's 'touch and go whether he will manage to keep the electric on'.

The most worrying thing about John's situation is that he says he is by no means the worst off.

Today, Dave Wells, the founder of Grimsby charity the We Are One Foundation, which provides food kitchen facilities to the area's most needy warned that more and more people are turning to them and food banks for help, describing the situation as 'the worst it's ever been'.

John said: "Food banks have been an absolute life ine. For the last few months, I dread to think what would have happened without them.

"I dread to think what would have happened. I'm not the worst off but they've still been quite vital to me. I regularly see the massive need that people have now - there are often families with children or people in nurses' uniforms, but still have nothing. I was barely scraping by until the end of them month, but I was a lot better off than most of them.

John, 35, receives payments from Universal Credit, but says these often don't cover basic living expenses.

John Hallberg, 35, has relied on food banks to survive for the last few months, and says without them many more people in Grimsby would starve (Image: Jamie Waller)

"I'm still struggling to get by - I'm picking up a food package tomorrow to keep me going until I get paid, but it will still be touch and go whether I manage to keep the electric on. I'm down to my last few quid now," he said.

"Food banks aren't anything I ever thought I'd need. I've never been dependent on alcohol or drugs and it took a lot for me to go there.

"We're supposed to be the sixth richest country in the world, but it doesn't feel like it for a lot of people. It's like the government relies on food banks as a last line of defence, a get out clause, to help the people that are suffering rather than fix the problems they caused in the first place.

"Without the We Are One foundation locally, there would be a lot more people dying in Grimsby. The work Dave Wells and everyone else do there is absolutely amazing. There are so many people relying on them in Grimsby, and they're determined to help them all."

Although he has used them in past, John doesn't need food kitchens on a regular basis now, but he plans to return often and volunteer his time to repay them.

John has been forced to rely on food banks after universal credit didn't cover his living expenses (Image: Jamie Waller)

He paid tribute to the selfless organisers who never turn anyone who wants a hot meal away.

Dave estimates that donated food feeds between 80 and 120 hungry people every week around the town - although it has been as high as 170 some nights.

"It's getting worse every week, and we're always seeing new faces. Last week, one food bank that we supply in Grimsby helped to feed 120 adults and 23 children," he said.

Dave Wells and Terry Tidswell of the We Are One Foundation, which supplies food banks around North East Lincolnshire (Image: Duncan Young)

The foundation aims to give every person in need a hot meal, whether they are homeless or struggling to make ends meet. However, he says there has been a noticeable increase in the last year since Universal Credit was introduced.

"A lot of people we deal with have mental health issues and find it difficult to make appointments, which can lead to them getting sanctioned and losing money. Sometimes, when they come into food kitchens they ask us what day it is or what time it is because they have no idea," Dave said.

A typical meal at St Andrew's Church

The food bank at St Andrew's Church in Grimsby pride themselves on offering delicious and nutritious hot food to needy people, who are often in danger of malnutrition.

On the menu last week were a choice of:

Outdoor bred pork sausages

Pork chops, loin and ribs in an apple sauce

Chicken on the bone in a rich mushroom sauce.

Chicken on the bone in BBQ sauce

Cauliflower

Carrots

Creamy mashed potatoes.

For dessert were profiteroles with fudge sauce.

There were was also unlimited tea, coffee and cold drinks. Every person took a way a small food parcel to ensure they had enough for supper.

"Most of them also have difficulty budgeting with Universal Credit. They receive their money in one go and find it hard to make it last the whole month."

The We Are One foundation gives food to kitchens or food banks at St Andrew's Church, Harbour Place Hope Centre and the Rock Foundation.

To meet the growing demand, the food kitchen at St Andrew's Church in Grimsby is hoping to introduce a day specifically for vulnerable people and families with children.

Dave said that many of the stereotypes about people who rely on food banks are completed wrong.

"A lot of the stories are heartbreaking. There are more people needing food banks because of relationship breakdowns or losing businesses. They lose their dignity and start to drink, and get lost in it.#

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"The public think people on the street are there as a result of drugs - usually it's the other way around. They end up on the street and conditions are so bad they just want to escape for a few hours."

With more people turning to food banks for enough food to get through the week, the foundation needs more donations than ever.

More people are relying on food banks in Grimsby than ever before, according to We Are One Foundation founder Dave Wells (Image: Duncan Young)

"We are struggling to meet demand, and we always need more donations to keep up with the amount of people. We are completely reliant on donations, and don't take any wages. Everything is gladly given away free, including our time," said Dave.

"We recently received over £2500 from the Waltham Windmill Golf Club, but without those, we wouldn't be able to keep feeding and clothing people."

Dave Wells (left) from the We Are One Foundation accepts £2570 from the Waltham Windmill Golf Club to fund food banks

A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said: "The reasons why people use food banks are complex, so it’s wrong to link a rise to any one cause.

"We’re incentivising work and restoring fairness to the system, while supporting people from all backgrounds. That’s why we continue to spend over £90bn a year on support for those who need it, including those who are bringing up a family or on a low income."